John H. McCord, DPM

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Why You Shouldn`t Knock Surgical Checklists

06/03/2003

I walked into the operating room 10 minutes early as usual. The case was a complex repair of multiple fractures from a SUV vs. Harley wreck. None of the fractures were difficult to repair but there were four to set and fixate. The nurses...

I walked into the operating room...

06/03/2003

Podiatry Today

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Giving Last Rites To Failed Equipment

08/03/2006

John H. McCord , DPM;

I do not care much for equipment failures. If you take good care of your stuff and do not abuse your equipment and instruments, they should last forever or at least for another three years until I retire. Tell that to my cast saw. A...

I do not care much for...

08/03/2006

Podiatry Today

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Stepping Away From Podiatry And Regaining Perspective

05/23/2012

John H. McCord , DPM;

I just got home from attending the Washington State Podiatric Medical Association annual meeting and seminar. The meeting was held at a posh resort in the North Cascades Mountains. The rooms were too pricey for me so I stayed in my trailer in...

I just got home from attending...

05/23/2012

Podiatry Today

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Talking To Myself In A Quiet Room

11/03/2004

John H. McCord , DPM;

Documenting chart notes has become a pain in the butt. In the good old days, I would handwrite one or two lines after rendering routine foot care. Now I have to dictate a chapter of War and Peace after trimming a few toenails. It is even...

Documenting chart notes has...

11/03/2004

Podiatry Today

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It Takes A Village To Save A Leg

10/27/2007

John H. McCord , DPM;

My favorite writing project is to produce a “return to work” document for a patient who has recovered from a serious foot or ankle problem. I had that pleasure last week on behalf of a 53-year-old gentleman whom I first met six months ago...

My favorite writing project is...

10/27/2007

Podiatry Today

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How A Mystery Novel Spurred A Look At Our Patient Care Ethics

01/28/2014

John H. McCord , DPM;

A mystery novel, The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza by Lawrence Block, first circulated in the early 1980s. The novel horrified podiatrists worldwide. The problem was that the villain in the mystery was a podiatrist.

A mystery novel, The Burglar Who...

01/28/2014

Podiatry Today

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The Night The Lights Went Out In The O.R.

07/03/2002

John H. McCord , DPM;

I graduated from podiatry school and went through residency in the mid-‘70s, about the same time power instruments were introduced to podiatric surgeons. We wore grounded booties and used noisy nitrogen-driven drills. When you walked past an...

I graduated from podiatry school...

07/03/2002

Podiatry Today

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Ensure A Bright Retirement: Why It Pays To Be Proactive

09/03/2005

John H. McCord , DPM;

As a fourth-year podiatry student in 1974, I decided to start my practice debt-free. As a student, I heard horror stories about young DPMs going $60,000 into debt to open their first office. In 1974, $60,000 would give you a posh office...

As a fourth-year podiatry...

09/03/2005

Podiatry Today

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Helping Patients Fly Into The Sunset At The End Of Life

04/24/2009

John H. McCord , DPM;

I have been an unemployed podiatrist for four months since my retirement in December 2008. After almost 34 years of loving my work, I turned the practice over to my partner and a new associate. Retirement was the carrot I chased for so...

I have been an unemployed...

04/24/2009

Podiatry Today

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When You Have To Veto Elective Surgery

07/03/2003

John H. McCord , DPM;

I always like to spend a few minutes getting acquainted with patients who are new to my practice. I start by reading the face sheet on the chart before entering the examination room. This tells me where the patient lives and works, and the...

I always like to spend a few...

07/03/2003

Podiatry Today